Category Archives: Communication as study

Thanks to Phil Howard‘s link to Andrew Chadwick’s post for digital tools that can be helpful for students (of any level post-middle school) and researchers in general. I was feeling pretty good that I use two of the six already (Endnote & Evernote). Zotero is a good alternative to Endnote since it is free and Endnote is rather spendy (though with student/faculty discounts it’s better). I have used Scrivener but not regularly — it’s an app for writing.

This might be the most import thing you listen to this year – at least read the summary and then write – to your mayor, to your legislators, to your Congressional representatives. Do not let digital access be a luxury – FDR worked hard to electrify the nation, the same should be true for high-speed digital access.

There are times when my students say “I Googled it, but I didn’t find anything.” I always find this a little hard to believe. It is more likely that they were overwhelmed by the hits because the search was too broad, or they were not looking in the right places. This is a great post on how to use Google for research. Some tips for Google Scholar and other tools. Check out this great guide from Lifehacker.

“Communication is the basis of the human race. From the drawings left by the cave men, to a twitter update, humans want to tell each other things. I’m not saying that the cavemen were telling everyone what Starbucks drink they got but you catch the drift. We spend time with friends sharing stories, laughing at jokes, and talking about what matters to us.”

I am forever grateful for my journalism degrees (yes, that’s usually in “comm”) and for the chance to teach it now. It is also clear every single day that the need for communication professionals and professors is plain.

“The storytellers are the ones who seek out the greatness in others and want to scream their information from the rooftops. They see something that is usually overlooked, or forgotten, or hated, and see the beauty. And if you don’t feel up to the challenge, then find a new major, because we’re going to be changing the world.”

From: Thought Catalog – though I must say, this essay starts off very poorly indeed.